Opinion

Folks across the Palmetto State are learning what many here have known for years. The Adopt A Leader program is working well, shaping young lives and building future leaders.

The program, led by organizer Bobby Bailey, was recently honored by the S.C. School Board Association with the Champions for Public Education Award.

When something is working well and having a positive impact on youngsters, as this program does, it's hard to keep it secret. The S.C. School Board Association made the presentation during a recent Lancaster County school board meeting.

Easter arrives today. For Christians, it's regarded as the holiest day of the year. The holiday is held to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who arose from the dead following His death on the cross as revealed by the scriptures.

Easter, or Resurrection Day, as many Christians refer to the holiday, is a time to celebrate.

Unlike Christmas, which is celebrated on Dec. 25 each year by Christians shortly after the arrival of winter, Easter can fall any place on the calendar between March 22 and April 25.

I am a 62-year-old woman and a native of New Jersey. I worked 12 years as a ward/health coordinator at Bergen Pines Hospital in New Jersey. And I have worked in management positions for more than 30 years.

I have worked with the public for many years and never encountered anything like I did after moving to Lancaster.

At my place of employment a young, white man called me a racial slur. I felt degraded and overwhelmed when he made the remark.

He wasn't getting into a "challenging" contest with an elephant. The context is not verbatim. I can't print what he really said here, but you get the idea.

He - head of a state department, whose salary is paid by taxpayers - was the challenger and I was the elephant. I have a prominent nose and I had gained some weight. But I decided not to take the comment personally.

In an election year, it's simply amazing what candidates will latch on to in in order to make another candidate look bad. Case in point is the campaign for the Senate 16 seat between Rep. Mick Mulvaney and Democrat Mandy Powers-Norrell.

Several weeks ago, the Charlotte Observer misstated that Mulvaney's children attended Indian Land Elementary when actually they attend Catholic school.

To conduct business in the Panhandle, some local officials have had to play a game of musical meeting sites. But that changed recently when Merrifield Partners, the developer of 521 Commerce Center on U.S. 521, donated a 1,300-square-foot space in its Pinckney Building.

Lancaster County Economic Development Corp., Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce and the local office of the S.C. Employment Security Commission will use the space.

"Often times, all of us have had a need for office space, a place to meet” in Indian Land, said LCEDC President Keith Tunnell.

I recently noticed an obvious and hopefully, an innocent misprint in the March 9 edition of The Neighbors of York and Lancaster County in The Charlotte Observer.

The story was the coverage of S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford's support of Mick Mulvaney, a Republican candidate for the S.C. Senate 16 District.

The Lancaster News had already covered the story with the correct information. Along with the story was similar photo that was published in The Lancaster News. It was a photo of Sanford, Mulvaney and Mulvaney's wife.

As sheriff of Lancaster County, I would like to discuss an issue very close to each of us - crime prevention. My office is committed to making our neighborhoods safer places to live.

By doing so, we will improve the quality of life for individuals and families, both young and old. It is imperative that we seek progress to reduce the negative influences that crime has on our children and to help safeguard the elderly.

I would like to thank the A.R. Rucker Middle School cheerleaders for being just that - middle school cheerleaders. These girls consistently complement the athletic programs at A.R. Rucker Middle School.

They strive to do what cheerleaders should, which is lead the crowd in support of the athletes competing. I am proud to know that the A.R. Rucker Middle School cheerleaders take their positions as leaders and role models seriously.

Critics of social networking Web sites better get used it; they're here to stay. The youth are using them to keep in touch with one another.

Telecommuters from HP are using them to connect with their development teams. Even military officers are using Facebook to organize their squadrons.

Social networks are a part of a larger schema that is oft called Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is the catalyst for the culture clash between those who embrace these tools and those who are just fine with the conventional methods.

Question: My mother called me the other day wanting to know what I thought about a great program that an insurance agent called her about. The agent told her that they would give her either a motorized scooter or $1,000 if she completed a survey on health-related questions and provided some personal information. When she said that she would fill out a survey, an agent came by her house to notarize the survey and have her sign a release.